"Because I am so cute"

These days, when we reprimand MA for doing something she shouldn't have, and when we ask her why she did it, she would answer "because I am so cute!"

Is that cute or just mind numbing!?

We could not stop laughing the first time, after awhile it does not work anymore. I think kids these days watch too much TV!

Things in Common

We have so many things in common

We share the same moon
the same sky
the same ocean that spans the world wide

The share the same air
the atmosphere
and yet you are so far while I am just here

Ho Chi Minh 7/11/08

It rained a little as we left Hanoi this morning. In any case, we reached the airport early despite the horrendous morning traffic. The flight was short, just 2 hours and we are in the more commercialized city in Vietnam. The traffic is the same - noisy and wild, but bearable.

The Vietnamese are very hard-working people. You will hear the shutters of the street shops going up as early as 5am in the morning. The streets are filled with motorcycles & bycicles (the current primary mode of transportation) and there is no stopping them. In many articles all over the world, peopl talk about the traffic here and how impossible it is to even cross the streets. Well, there is not trick or magic to it. It is actually very simple. Just trust yourself and cross the street. Just as how some economist would say that the market would correct itself, the traffice here too will do the same. They will, in their own way (mind the horning), part for you. Do not hesitate and do not fret because if you do so, they would not know where you plan to go and cannot plan what to do. Get me?

Try it and let me know.

Hanoi 6/11/08

It still has not rained in Hanoi today. A good thing. I hear that some parts a still flooded and I pray that it will all subside soon. Work was very good today. Kept busy most of the day and the day ended quite late. This time I had not had a chance to explore much of Hanoi and I hope tomorrow HCMC would be better. I hear that it is also raining a lot at HCMC and I hope that it would not tomorrow as we have plans to visit the famous Ben Thanh market ! Well good night.

Hanoi 5/11/08

There is not a drop of water where I am in Hanoi and the weather is more than fine. When some found out that I was going to Hanoi, they told me it is under water and that I should not be going. I had imagined that I would be picked up by the hotel's water taxi . But of course, that was not needed.

Hanoi Horison is a pretty nice hotel. They gave me a room that has a balcony that faces the pool! I was contemplating at home on whether to bring my swimsuit but I did not as I never have the time to do so when I am out here for work and guess what? I have some time to myself now, a room right next to the pool, with a balcony, and my swimsuit is in my closet at home .

In any case, did I mention that it is pretty noisy out there? People are getting off work now and there is constant honking from everywhere! Maybe I will sit outside later in the evening to take in the wonderful Hanoi weather. And if it is raining somewhere, I pray that it will not flood there. Hanoi is too beautiful.

China goods ban widens - article from STAR

Link

The paper today had this story and in it carried a number to call the Ministry for more information. It was really hard trying to get through. The line was constantly engaged or no one picks it up. Anyway, I decided to call the manufacturers direct. For those those of you who are concerned and need more info on the milk that your child is consuming, you can call these numbers:

Health Ministry: 03-8883 3503 (as per this morning's paper)
Dutch Lady : 03-7956 7477
Wyeth : 1-800-88-5526
Nestle : 1-800-88-3433
Mead Johnson : 1-800-88-3585

Growing Up

An Island Getaway

I have recently been asked to review a website and had found it really interesting. Let me share. My husband and I had our honeymoon at the Rebak Marina Resort. It was an island resort off of Langkawi Island. It was really nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main island and just relax on an island. Even the handphone reception's pretty bad there, so you can imagine how remote this place is. It was a beautiful place where many foreigner would come by and dock their yachts for weeks on end.

Well, when I was asked to review this website http://www.islandgetaway.com/ and what it had to offer, it brought back so many memories of our honeymoon. Hilton Head Island is pretty much an island resort where families can go to get away from their daily grind and just enjoy themselves with the activities that are organised all year round, while immersed in the natural beauty of the island.

There are so many things to do there. Tennis, golf, surfing, kayaking, watch fireworks, picnic, roller skate, walk nature trails, bird watching, biking, shop & dine! And that is just to name a few.

The website also allows for holiday makers to look at Hilton Head home rentals & Hilton Head condo rentals. You get to choose from various types of rentals which include, Oceanfront Homes, Near-Ocean Homes, Oceanfront Villa, Near-Ocean Villa, Oceanwalk Villa & Harbourfront Villas. With these homes for rent at Hilton Head, you get to choose what suits you and your family best. And there is such a huge range of choices just to suit your budget and family size.

Maybe it's time for an island getaway...

Flat Tyre

Yup! I got a flat tyre this morning. My dad has always told me to learn how to change a tyre but never really did. Who would? Especially when you have AAM and others around who would come to assist you whenever you call them. Well anyway, I didn't call them just because Fran was around and I realised changing a tyre is not easy at all. First you need to know where your extra tyre is located. Good thing that I do. Second, you need to know how to remove the Jack from the car. Which I don't. Then you have to jack the car up, but where do you put the Jack in the first place. When that is done, you need to remove the tyre by removing the screws? Is that what you call them? Please do not laugh.

Well now, the extra tyre is flat and I was told to get them inflated. Wow, I wish I knew how to do that. So, in the end, I left the car at home. I called my colleage to give me a ride instead. This does not mean I do not have to deal with it tomorrow....sigh

The Quarterly Status Update - scan of June 08

Yup, we're back again with my hubby's update. We had a scan done on the 11th June and we are happy to say that everything is well. Fran got the all clear. Blood test shows everything is normal. Scan shows everything normal. Other results show everything is normal too. No sign of cancer .

Next update will be in September. We have to do this for 2 years, and then half-yearly for another 3 years, after which it will be annually. It is not very time consuming as it takes only one whole morning. We just have to be diligent about this, keep healthy and thank God that we are able to keep this little family together .

Did anyone notice Enfagrow's new price? What a killer!

Enfagrow had just increased the price of their milk powder at a whopping 25%! I used to get it at RM72.99 or lower (depending on where you buy it) and now it is retaling at RM84.99 and that's not just it. RM72.99 used to get me 1.8kg BUT now at RM84.99, I can only get 1.7kg. Therefore, it has increased to RM5.00 per 100gm from RM4.00 per 100gm. This is just terrible!

Where is it beautiful in PD?

The entire Ng family had gone for a 3D2N weekend trip to PD. Sad to say the beach area near our bungalow was not clean and we had to drive out in search of a better area where the teenagers and kids can play. The first evening we went to Guoman's beach and had spent a whole 2 hours there. The next evening we were at the Bayu Beach Resort's beach and it was wonderful! The sand was fine and activities were plentiful. Not much shade which means that it's great for kites. My daughter loved it and spent most of her time playing in the sand and the older kids spent more time in the water. Much more time in there than at the Guoman. I am writing this so that I won't forget! So, if you are in PD and would like to spend some time in a really good spot, go to the Bayu Beach Resort. You don't have to do in through the entrance of the hotel. You can park beside the hotel, where lots of parking bays are available. It is not a private beach so you don't have to worry about having a security guard telling you to leave when you are having tons of fun. Watch out for our family pics!

THE COACH SALE

COACH is having a sale from today 28 May 08 till the end of June. I went with my colleagues to have a look, afterall Pavillion is just 10 minutes away. It was not bad, and it was not that good either. Well, I am not a Coach fan although I have one of their bags. If you are a fan, you need to go early. They are, I heard, running out of the items on sale. I guess the good ones would be gone early. At the Pavillion, the sale is upstairs. Everything there is at 30% off.

We got there at 11:45am, the crowd was bearable. By the time it was 1:00pm (yes, we were there that long), it was full of ladies, and one guy. I suggest you go early in the day, and early to the sale. Not at the end of June.

: )

Everything is going up up up

It's in the papers everyday that prices of goods are going up. Today there was an article about the inflation rate in Malaysia. It is quite evident as I go grocery shopping every weekend with the family. We comsume Basmathi - Peacock Brand at home and we are paying a whopping RM31.69 per 5kg now. The price was RM26.99 just two weeks ago. I can imagine that it would be very hard on some people's pockets.

We sat down at Kluang Station last Saturday for our lunch and noticed that they have had their menus all changed. And just as we figured, they are now charging more for everything they offer. Even the 2 eggs that Malaysians love so much cost RM0.50 more than before. The usual fried rice (with an egg on the side) used to be RM6.90 is now RM7.90. Wow! That is 14% more for an inflation rate of 3% - which is what the government is claiming.

It's hard on the wallet and the budget as we have fixed expenses so we will have to look at how we can scale down on the unneccesary things. We try.

Update

This update is long overdue and many people have been asking how the husband is doing. He did a scan in March and all is okay. However, there is a small growth in the kidney, but the doc said that it is very normal but have to keep an eye on it. Other than that, all is okay. He has to do a scan every 3 months for the first 2 years and then every half-yearly for 3 years, if I remember correctly.

The only thing that is not in control is his appetite. He was very good but given his love for over-indulgence, it is very hard to get him to commit to losing weight. Sigh.....

Thank you for being so supportive and concerned. Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. We know we are not alone in this. Updates to follow when we have them :)

Accidental Psoriasis Treatment (our own remedy)

My husband has been trying to get rid of his psoriasis condition for many years now and anyone who knows this, it is quite an uphill climb. A year or so ago, when I was buying milk powder at a local chinese med store, the owner, a nice gentleman was sharing with me about the goodness of Thomson's Livrin pills. He did not sound like he was trying to sell it to me, but was genuine in helping me find something that works. Thomson's Livrin is a supplement which is taken to help cleanse the liver and he recommends it to everyone who has a liver : ) Sick or healthy.

Since we have already spent hundreds, maybe thousands on creams that are immunosuppresants, we thought that spending a little bit more on this would not do any harm. By the way, immunosuppresants are actually not good for you if you take them on a long-term basis AND the doctors who prescribe them to you would not normally tell you this. If your immune system is suppressed constantly, your body will not be able to fight the diseases (seen or not seen) properly. Anyway, we invested in Thomson Livrin's and never looked back. Within 3 months, his psoriasis began to thin out and was not so flaky anymore. Within 6 months, it was almost gone.

And then, my husband found out that using Himalaya's Soothing Body Lotion (for normal skin) helped too. Initially he took 4-6 Thomson's Livrin pills daily, and used the cream at night before bed. And as his condition got better, he reduced the pills to 2 a day. He has been using them together and the results are fantastic.

You can get Thomson's Livrin & Himalaya's products at any pharmacy and they are a bit pricey. I recommend that you try getting the Thomson Livrin's at any of your local chinese medicine stores, they could be cheaper.

I am not saying that this works for everyone but it is something worth trying. If you know of anyone who has psoriasis, please forward this to them.

This is the first blog

This is my very first blog on blogspot. Everyone has a blog and I just thought that it was time that I had my very own. I have a multiply site but it is very different from this and so, why not? Well, time is one thing. Second, I suck at keeping track of what happens to me everyday. I cannot comprehend how some people or some families can sit down at the computer, at the end of a very busy & hectic day, and write about their experience throughout their day. How can you still think at the end of the day?

My daughter goes to bed at 10:30ish pm. I usually take my shower by then, catch up with my husband on his work, watch 10 minutes of TV, and go to bed by midnight or later. Prior to that, my life is a blur.

Wish me luck : )